Due to the rule prohibiting romantic relationships within the team, the love affairs of Chinese national table tennis players have instead attracted more attention from fans. It's inevitable that the more mysterious something is, the more it attracts attention. Additionally, when a relationship is discovered within the national table tennis team, one of the parties involved must leave the team. As a result, many players, even if they are together, remain secretive during their playing careers and do not directly respond or admit to any exposure.
This is why over the years, there have been rumors among fans about relationships between players such as "Dreamy" Chen Meng and Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin, and Chen Xintong and Zhou Qihao. These rumors become even more intriguing due to the lack of response from the players involved, but not all national table tennis players dare not make an official announcement. For example, when players are no longer part of future plans, they are still willing to come clean.
Recently, another couple in the national table tennis team has made an official announcement, receiving many blessings from fans. Who is this couple? The male is Yu Ziyang, born in 1998. Like Chen Meng, he hails from Shandong and entered the national team at the age of 14. In 2014, at the age of 16, Yu Ziyang won the men's singles championship at the Japan Open, breaking Fan Zhendong's record for the youngest tour champion in table tennis.
Following this, Yu Ziyang paired with Wang Manyu in mixed doubles and with Fan Zhendong in men's doubles, helping the team win multiple mixed doubles and men's doubles tour championships. In 2018, Yu Ziyang represented the national table tennis team at the World Team Cup, helping the team win the championship. Also in 2018, at the age of 20, Yu Ziyang won both the men's singles and mixed doubles titles at the World University Games. However, due to a lack of significant breakthroughs in singles events, Yu Ziyang proactively retired from the national table tennis team after the Paris Olympics in 2024 at the age of 26.
Who is Yu Ziyang's girlfriend? Yu Ziyang and his girlfriend Zhang Qiang are in a brother-sister relationship, with Zhang Qiang being four years older than Yu Ziyang. Zhang Qiang is also a former national player and one of the rare straight bat athletes in the national table tennis team. Although she entered the national team with Chen Meng, she became good friends with Sun Yingsha, who was born in the 2000s. However, compared to Yu Ziyang's achievements in international youth competitions, Zhang Qiang's results were not fully realized, leading her to retire from the national team and start her own table tennis school. Despite not winning an Olympic gold medal in the Chinese national table tennis team, Zhang Qiang has still gained a lot because she found Yu Ziyang and her own happiness.